The numbers paint a pretty compelling picture, and all the press articles certainly add to the sense of excitement. Everywhere you look, there’s another story about the incredible demand for skilled data scientists. Just two weeks ago, a story from Bloomberg noted that job listings for data scientists on Indeed.com have increased 75% in just three years. Glassdoor has named Data Scientist the best job in the U.S. three years in a row. IBM is predicting a demand increase of nearly 30% in the next two years.

In short, it is an incredible time to become a Data Scientist.

That’s easier said than done, of course. But that’s where Udacity comes in. No matter where your skills and experience are today, we offer a point-of-entry into the world of data, and at Udacity, every data learning path ends with you being ready for success in the field.

Whether you want to master data science programming with Python and SQL, launch a Data Analyst career, or explore business and predictive analytics, Udacity offers world-class programs, expert instructors, and the opportunity to start building relevant skills right away. We’ve partnered with industry leaders like Tableau, Kaggle, and IBM Watson, to ensure you’re learning the in-demand skills recruiters and hiring managers are looking for.

In this post, I’ll walk you through all the Nanodegree programs in our School of Data Science. I’ll show you what each covers, make clear how they connect, and help you choose the program that’s right for you. In the process, I’ll describe the projects you’ll build, and the skills you’ll learn.

The School of Data Science is organized around three main roles: Business Analyst, Data Analyst, and Data Scientist. Our programs are designed to prepare you for these roles based on your career goals, and your current skills and experience levels.

The School of Data Science offers two different, and clearly-defined, career paths. These paths are differentiated by whether they focus on developing programming skills or not. Each path features a certain number of “steps” to reach the point where you are qualified for your intended role. Where you begin depends on your current experience level, and each program lists whether there are pre-requisites, and if so, what those are.

Non-programming path:Business Analytics → Predictive Analytics for Business
This path is for anyone who wishes to pursue career roles in data, without adding and/or relying on programming skills to do so. This path targets one specific role: Business Analyst.

Programming path:Programming for Data Science → Data Analyst → Data ScientistThis path is for anyone who wishes to pursue career roles in data, and who wants to incorporate relevant programming skills into their skill set. There are two career roles you target here: Data Analyst, which is a two-step path, and Data Scientist, which is a three-step path.

In addition to being part of a career path, each of our programs stands on its own as an opportunity to learn a specific set of data skills. To better understand these paths and programs, let’s now look at each program separately.

This program is for anyone who wishes to gain foundational data skills that are applicable to virtually all fields. You’ll learn to collect, organize, and analyze data using Excel, SQL, and Tableau, and you’ll explore how to make data-driven decisions. This program is an ideal choice whether you’re just getting started with data, are interested in applying data skills to a current role, or plan to pursue advanced studies and career roles.

Business Analysts are in high demand. In this program, you’ll learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems. You’ll do so by building fluency in two leading software packages: Alteryx, a tool that enables you to prepare and analyze data quickly; and Tableau, a powerful data visualization tool. Upon graduating from the program, you’ll be ready to apply for a wide array of Business Analyst roles.

In this program, you’ll learn the most valuable programming tools and languages used by data professionals today. You’ll learn how to manipulate large datasets, perform version control, and access modern databases. This program is an ideal way to launch a career in data, and for experienced analysts, it’s an excellent opportunity to augment your existing skill set with in-demand programming skills.

Successful Data Analysts have a unique set of skills, and represent important value to organizations eager to make data-powered business decisions. In this program, you’ll learn to use Python, SQL, and statistics to uncover insights, communicate critical findings, and create data-driven solutions. Demand for qualified Data Analysts continues to rise, and as a graduate of this program, you will be prepared to fill these important roles.

Data Scientists possess advanced skills, and use cutting-edge techniques like machine learning to do their work. There is a shortage of qualified Data Scientists in the workforce, and individuals with these skills are in high demand. In this program, you’ll work on real-world data science projects designed by industry leaders. You’ll build effective machine learning models, and learn to run data pipelines, design experiments, build recommendation systems, and deploy solutions to the cloud. Upon graduation from the program, you’ll be ready to apply for important Data Scientist roles.

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No matter which program you choose, you’ll benefit from personalized mentorship, expert project review, and robust support from all our teams. You’ll build hands-on projects, and create an outstanding portfolio of work. You’ll become part of a dynamic community of data enthusiasts, and you’ll establish a valuable professional network.

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5 thoughts on “How to Choose the Data Science Program That’s Right for You”

Hello,
I went through the career path for Business Analytics. It mentioned that after completing Business Analytics course, I have the option to either gear towards Data Analyst or Predictive Business Analysis. However, the Data Analyst course does require experience in Python which I do not have. Will I be able to take the Data Analyst course with no prior Python Experience after completing business analytics? I do have SQL knowledge. I am a bit confused on which course to take. Please advice.

To try and answer your question here, yes, you’ll definitely need some Python experience to continue to the Data Analyst Nanodegree program. The great news is, we’ve just launched a new program specifically for students in your situation! It’s our Programming for Data Science Nanodegree program, and it’s ideal for someone who has to-date pursued the non-programming business analysis, and now wants to focus on accruing relevant coding skills: trackhttps://www.udacity.com/course/programming-for-data-science-nanodegree–nd104

Hello,
Does Business Analytics course contain any studies of BPMN, Petri Nets, UML or similar process description techniques?
And one more question: I do not want to deal with proprietary Excel software. Is it OK to study specific functions with OpenOffice or LibreOffice (LibreOffice preferred)?
Thanks in advance.

I have 9.5 yrs of experience comprising of backoffice opeartions but interested to get into Analytics. I have no prior experience in analytics and no knowledge of Alteryx, python or SQL. I wanted to understand if it would help me in finding right opportunities by taking business analytics course at udacity with number of years of experience I have not in analytics field. If so, what kind of industry roles can i expect?